Reunited
by RJRelentless
Summary: After ten years of searching for her lost love, Leliana is captured at Redcliff Castle. Escaping with nothing but her life, Leliana stumbled across someone she never thought she'd see again. Bad summery... I know :3 Now a two shot, LelianaXNeria. Takes place during Inquisition.
1. Chapter 1

All Leliana could do was run, as far and as fast as her legs could carry her.

Thorns scratched at her already open and scarred skin, making healed wounds re-open as she hurtled through the dark forest and away from the dungeon that had held her captive. From what she could gather, she was in her prison for at least five months, the cold icy patches on the ground telling her it was long since summer, the goose bumps on her bare skin becoming unbearable against the cold.

She didnt know where she was going, she just had to get away, and quickly. She knew her torturer's method of tracking, and he was no doubt after her that very second, playing a very cruel game of cat and mouse, Leliana playing the latter, something she had not done in years. Not since she had fled from Orlais... With the vision of the Orlesian Guards hot on her heels, she pushed on harder, more swiftly across the ground. Leliana knew that this would not last for long, however. She knew the limits of her body, especially when she was near exhaustion; she tired easily and got careless.

Soon, her quick movements throughout the eerie forest turned to stumbles as she became lightheaded, her sight becoming blurred as she heaved for breath. She stopped against a tree, leaning on the rough bark as she checked herself over. She was in bad shape, so much that she was beginning to believe she would not survive the night.

Then she heard it; the howl of a Mabari War Hound. The True Chase had begun.

Picking up her pace again, she clumsily fell through the trees, fear that her tormentor would find her. And to make matters worse, Leliana could hear the loud pants and heavy paw prints of the Mabari gaining on her hastily, thudding on the snowy ground as he caught her scent, howling to his Master and the rest of his pack as he got closer and closer to his prey.

So she ran, her body near collapsing as her lungs felt as though they were on fire, her body stinging from head to toe in bloody wounds. She felt her feet give way under her as she tripped, her body falling against a lone tree, only to fall roughly to the floor seconds later.

_This is it,_ she thought, the sight of the Mabari Hound hurtling towards her bringing an icy shiver down her spine as she prepared for her inevitable death. Closing her eyes, she gritted her teeth as the Divine came to her mind. She'd failed her, the Inquisition... she'd failed _her... her Warden_...

Opening her eyes, she was shocked, to say the least. She did not hear the halt of the Mabari's steps, her brow frowning in confusion as she studied the blurred hound in front of her, who for some reason, had not started mauling her yet. Listening as the Mabari's Master quickly began to catch them up, the sound of them ripping past the leaf-less twigs, Leliana began to realise that, through her hazed vision, she recognised this animal.

Under the dark paint that plastered his coat, she saw the unforgettable markings around his front legs, she saw the unusual gentleness and _happiness_ in the Mabari's big, brown eyes as he stared at her, his short tail wagging as he gave a sharp, loud bark. The thumping of the ground got nearer as Leliana, be it either out of braveness or stupidity, extended her hand, placing it in front of the hound's nose. The Mabari didnt even need to take in her scent, pressing his large mussle against the palm of her hand.

"Hunter..." she said in a broken voice, the hound giving her a happy bark as he nudged her hand further onto his head, Leliana feeling her consciousness leaving her as the thumping of foot steps vanished, the tree twigs splitting open to reveal a large figure, garbed in a cloak, their face darkened and non-recognisable under the baggy hood. In the figure's hand was a bow, knocked against the fine wood an arrow, aimed directly at the red head sitting in naked in the cold snow.

Time seemed to slow for Leliana. Hope and happiness filled her as she held onto that last shred of life left, just enough to remember the Mabari in front of her, which was always inseperable from his Master... Leliana's lover... The figure loosened the bow, strands of hair dropping from the dark hood as they stepped closer to study the small woman in front of them, but all too late. Before Leliana could acknowledge what had happened, she felt her body go limp as she fell into the snow, her eyes closing as the figure jumped to her aid.

* * *

At first, when she awoke, Leliana could have sworn she had left her earthly body, leaving to be at the Makar's side, to reunite with her mother up where the souls of the dead gather. She was so _warm_, a luxury she hadn't missed until that waking moment. She slowly opened her eyes, her sight resting on the fire not to far from her, the flames feeding her the cozy sensation she was floating in.

She quickly found she was on her back and staring up at bright stars, which in return twinkled down at her. She heard a faint rustling just by her head, but found she had no energy to move. Instead, she just lay there, waiting as the memories came flooding back to her. The dungeons of Redcliff Castle, her escape, her run in with Hunter...

Her eyes snapped open as she pushed herself foreword, grimacing in pain as she hissed through painfully gritted teeth. Every bone in her body felt broken, every muscle felt as though they were about to explode, and every inch of her body just _hurt, stung_ in pain in ways she had once thought she'd never feel again. The rustling behind her quickened, a hand placing itself on her shoulder gently, pushing her back down onto her back. "Some of your injuries are still open," came an angel's voice, barely a whisper, yet that small echo gave a melody to Leliana's ears. "Just give me a few moments, and try not to move too much."

The cloaked figure came to her side, a bandage wrap in their hands as they kneeled down. Leliana could do nothing but stare up at the now visible face of her rescuer, her voice suddenly leaving her as she watched the figure get to work on her abdomen. Leliana wanted nothing more than to reach up and touch that face, to trace her fingers along the tattoos, to rub the cheek bone lightly with her thumb. Instead, as she felt their magic seep into her skin, giving her the most unreasonable sense of peace and relief. She grasped one of her healers hands in hers, watching their face quietly in anticipation. The magic had stopped, replacing the positive feelings with a pain that nearly made her groan, but she didn't care.

Finally, a pair of sparkling green eyes- eyes that had raided her dreams and taunted her- met with her own sea blue ones. In that moment, Leliana felt content; happy. Happiness that she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She quickly made the decision that if the figure were to lay down beside her so that she could entwist her arms around them, she would die without a worry in the world. "Neria..." she muttered quietly, receiving a small squeeze from the woman in question.

Neria gave a smile, looking down at the near naked woman below her. "In a minute... _please_," she begged, her spare hand tightening around the bandage wrapping in an almost desperate manor. Giving her a tight smile, Leliana released Neria's hand, who gave her a look of appreciation in return. She returned to the task in front of her, summoning her magic as she focused on healing the damaged woman, who now lay silent once again.

Leliana... wasn't quite sure of what to say. This wasn't exactly how she had envisioned Neria returning to her; in fact it was the complete opposite. Sighing as the content feeling of her Warden's magic returned to her, she looked up towards her yet again, noticing the tiny little changes about her since they had last spoken. The first thing she realised was that Neria was tired; exhausted even. Looking into the field of green above her, she saw the bags that hung under her eyes. From there, she saw a faint line of white, plumbed up tissue, which ran from her eye brow down to her cheek. One thing that hadn't changed about that beautiful face, Leliana noted happily, was that the tattoo ink hadn't dulled or faded in its age. Neria was always proud to be Elven, even though she had spent her life in the Circle Tower.

Showing everyone who she was... it was never something Leliana was very good at doing, and it made her admire Neria all the more for it. She even believed it was one of the many reasons why she fell in love with her. Neria had shown her she didn't have to be afraid of telling people that she was once a Bard, the things that she had done. She made Leliana feel less shameful of herself, helped her realise that that life was gone.

Leliana smiled softly as she recalled the memory of her old Bard Master's death; the moment she realised she was deeply in love with the Elven Mage.

It was soon after they had confronted Marjolaine, after the woman had died on Leliana's sword. She had kept to herself until the party had reached camp, where Neria had offered her shoulder; offered her a person to talk to. She had given her a look that could only be described as concerned, loving even. When Neria had turned to sit by the fire, Leliana had retreated to her tent, hardly believing that the Elf still wanted her amongst her presence, even after she had informed her that she relished the moment when Marjolaine fell on her blade.

Instead of chastising and belittling her, she comforted Leliana, tried to help her understand that she was who _she _was, not Marjolaine, that the woman had done her a great injustice and it was relatively normal to feel some form of satisfactory. It was that moment then, when Leliana realised her feelings for the mage. Even when she was doubting herself, believing that soon her life would be destroyed exactly the same way Marjolaine's had, Neria was there to pick her up, to tell her she wasn't like her Bard Master, and to show her that not everyone was as cold and heartless as Marjolaine. At that moment, she was the happiest she had been in a _long _time.

Over the two that had passed since Marjolaine's death in Denerim, their relationship had built, strengthened over each passing day. They stayed together in the castle in Denerim, Neria helping Alistair become Fereldan's new King, helping him in deciding the courts and guiding him through each decision he made. It wasn't until Leliana woke up one morning to find that her tranquillity and peacefulness had ended and her heart broken. Sat on Neria's side of their bed sat a tightly wound scroll, the contents of which had Leliana in tears by the time she had finished reading it. In minutes, she was dressed and in Alistair's quarters, demanding he sent people looking for her.

It was then that she turned to the Divine. She had offered Leliana a permanent place at her side, which Leliana had always turned down. It wasn't until Leliana had spent a tearful week in her... _their _bedroom that she considered taking the Divine's offer. She wasn't just going to allow Neria to walk out of her life, especially not after reading her delicate hand writing, telling her that she still and would always hold Leliana close to her heart; but she had to leave.

Travelling and working for the Divine had given her a chance to search for her lost love, as well as serving the Chantry. As the years flew by, Leliana found that by the time war had broken out between the Mages and the Templars, she no longer asked people whether they had seen the Hero of Fereldan. In the end, she was tired of having her hopes crushed and saw that the chances of finding Neria were very slim, near impossible. Taking the battered letter out time and time again, Leliana promised herself that she would reveal herself soon. By the time she had joined the Inquisition, she had given up looking for her, now telling herself that she would show herself when she wished.

Looking up at her now, Leliana realised that it was only when she had given up looking that Neria had come back to her. _Ironic._

"Can you sit up?" Neria asked, holding the bandage wrap in her hand as she finished the wounds on Leliana's abdomen. "I haven't done this in a while. I'm afraid I was only able to close some of them, not heal them all." Taking a gentle holding of her shoulders as Leliana struggled to get into an up right position, Neria gave her a comforting smile as she began wrapping the material around the woman's stomach, Leliana relaxing as she felt the Elf's arms around her. They were _so _close, their noses almost touching.

When Neria had finished the bandage, Leliana kept hold of her forearms, keeping her in place. It was Neria that leaned forward, touching their foreheads as Leliana sighed at the contact as she closed her eyes in what seemed like sheer bliss. She had missed this _so_ much. The amount of nights that she had cried herself to sleep over the loss of her lover were literally un-countable. Gingerly, Leliana began to slide her hands up to Neria's neck, rubbing there softly as she felt more than heard her swallow deeply in anticipation. Leaning foreword, Leliana hesitantly pressed her cold lips to Neria warm ones.

The effect wasn't immediate; both women, after years of having no such contact like this, found the action... foreign. It was awkward more than satisfying or comforting. Neither of them moved for an eternity, which in actual fact was only a minute or so. When Leliana felt Neria exhale slowly, she pulled away, however, keeping her within her embrace. "Neria..." she muttered quietly, breathing in the woman's addicting scent.

With that alone, something seemed to snap in the Elf. Taking firm hold of the red-head's neck, she pulled her foreword, smashing her lips with her own, more fire and confidence evident in the kiss. Leliana responded easier this time, the instinct of what to do coming back to her quickly. Lying back down on her back against Neria's soft bed roll, she felt her tongue probe her soft lips, as if begging for entrance. The couple stayed like this for a long while, only separating for the need of air. Neria rested her head against Leliana's shoulder blade, kissing the while flesh every so often as Leliana caught her breath back, clutching the heavily garbed woman to her tightly.

"I've missed you," Neria croaked,her voice muffled. Her lips moved to Leliana's neck, nipping at the skin softly as she exhaled sweetly. Leliana ran her hands through the short, brown hair, twisting some of the ends between her fingers. "Then why did you leave?" Leliana asked quietly.

"I had to," she replied, getting up on her elbow's and looking down at her love. "If I had told you why I had to leave all those years ago, you wouldn't have believed me- and I had to go alone- that's the one thing you wouldn't have let me do," she continued, lightly fingering the faded scar just above Leliana's left eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting to be away for so long. By the time I went back to Denerim to find you, you had already gone with the Divine." There was a brief silence, Leliana thinking that it was ironic that she was looking for Neria while the Elf was doing the same. "I still had work to do, but I just wanted to see you. I tracked you down to Kirkwall and... well, I kept an eye on you for a little while," Neria ended with a small chuckle.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Leliana replied. _That _wasn't fair. Neria... she _knew _that she was being looked for. She had even seen Leliana asking for her; yet chose to stay hidden. "Why didn't you let me know you were alright?"

"Because you wouldn't have let it go, you wouldn't have stopped searching for me," Neria returned, more harshly than intended. "I saw it, in your eyes, the hope that was there every time you asked someone about me; how your face would drop with disappointment. I-" Neria cut herself off, tears bouncing to her eyes as her voice broke. She stared down at Leliana's shoulder blade, refusing to meet her eyes. "If you had known I was watching you in Kirkwall, you would have found me... I wouldn't have been able to walk away again, Leli..."

There was another silence that enveloped the two woman. Neria had dropped from her elbows onto her side, exposing Leliana's body to the warm air. Even though the air was quite cozy and inviting, she felt herself shiver at the loss of contact. Taking a deep breath, Leliana spoke again. "Why come back now then?"

Neria grunted a stiff chuckle, taking one of Leliana's hands in her own and playing with each of her fingers. "Because the war has begun," Neria replied. "I was told of the fighting between the Mages and Templars years ago. I was sent to try and stop it before it had actually begun. Well, you can see how well that worked," she laughed bitterly. Neria then focused her attention on a nearby bird which, had landed on Hunter's hind leg. The Mabari lifted his head to look back, then dropped his head again as he attempted to fall back to sleep.

"I went away for a little while again, when I came back I had no idea where you had left to. After I heard you were captured, I was planning to get you out. As a matter of fact, it was going to happen tomorrow morning. I sent Hunter after you earlier because I thought you were one of the scouts. You got too close to my camp, as they all did. When I saw that Hunter wasn't ripping you apart, I figured it out from there; although you were nearly unrecognisable when I found you," Neria ended, dropping her hand to run it through Leliana's fiery hair, the woman herself staring out into the glittering sky as she took it all in.

As Neria ran her fingers through the red locks, Leliana's mind wouldn't stop. She was happy, tearful and angry all at the same time. She wanted to kiss Neria, have a passionate night with her and hit her all at once. But despite what she wanted, there was a question on the tip of her tongue, which she was fearing to ask. Biting her lip, she breathed out her fear. "Are you going to leave again?"

As Leliana stared off towards the forest that surrounded them, she felt a hand cup her cheek, a thumb running over the bone. "Leliana, look at me," she heard Neria beg. "_Please..._" Biting her lip again, she looked above her to see Neria's green eyes staring into hers, an intense and fixed looking on her face. "I'm never leaving your side again," Neria whispered, taking one of Leliana's hands in her own, giving it a squeeze. Leaning down, she pressed a chaste kiss to Leliana's lips, as if sealing the promise. She pulled back seconds later, a smile spread across her face. "I know we can't just pick up where we left off. I've missed the past ten years of your life; your working for the Divine, joining the Inquisition, all of it. I want to make up for my absence, if you'll have me."

As Leliana listened quietly, a smile appeared on her face. Wrapping her arms around the Mage's neck, she pulled her down, quickly kissing her cheek before pulling her into a tight, warm embrace. Neria relaxed immediately, the fear of being rejected washing away as she melted into the red head's arms. She snuggled in her neck, a pleasuring chill running up her spine as she felt Leliana's fingers take her cloak off.

With a devilish smirk on her face, Leliana bit Neria's ear lobe lightly, remembering how sensitive her ears were, how willing she would be to succumb to every one of her wishes whenever she gave them a slight nibble. She ran her tongue along the Elf's jaw as she exhaled slowly, her breath becoming out of sync. Pulling back to look her square in the face, Leliana muttered seductively, "One would think now would be an appropriate time to 'make up for your absence', no?"

**_A.N: I'm not 100% on the ending, but I hope you enjoyed reading :3 But seriously, If Inquisition turns out to be as awsome as it looks in the trailer, i WILL find a way for It to have my babies..._**


	2. Chapter 2

As the sun rose just beyond the sycamore trees, tiny song birds twittered in delight, rousing the sleeping Leliana from her dreams.

Cracking her eyes opened just a tiny bit, she found that she was laying on her side, one of Neria's thick furs resting under her head as another was wrapped tightly around Leliana's naked body (besides the bandages). The red head stretched, throwing her arms over her head as her muscles tightened, then wincing and bringing her them down again hastily, the sudden throbbing of her... well, _everywhere_ causing her re-think about moving.

Making herself comfortable again, a grin broke out on her face as memories of the previous night flooded her mind. _Oh..._ and what a night it had been! Biting her lip gently, she turned to lay on her back as she looked up at the sky, her smile widening as she remembered how gentle Neria had been with her. Knowing her as well as Leliana did, she knew that Neria was only that gentle and slow when she was savouring and _treasuring _a moment. That thought alone made Leliana feel loved, wrapping the fur around her tighter. Breathing in her scent from the furs, Leliana recalled dreamily how after she had been completely sated, Neria had asked for nothing in return, nestling behind the red head and slipping her arms around her. Like so long ago, being in Neria's arms made her feel safe and accepted.

This alone was one of the reasons she had slept so well. For once, she didn't have to sleep with one eye open all night. Knowing that Neria was there, Leliana felt more safe than she had in years, since they had travelled together during the Blight, defeating Darkspawn wherever they went. At the thought of spending the rest of her life in Neria's arms... needless to say she relished the thought.

However, thinking about Neria this way brought back some unhappy memories also. During Neria's absence, she had spent too many lonely nights on her own. Travelling around and working for the Divine allowed her to somewhat get it off her mind, until she had finished her duties for the day. At the days end, she would often wonder around countless bars and Markets asking after the lost Heroine. Many a time she was offered... _services _to keep her mind off of her troubles. It was only when her reputation grew and she had taken on the name Sister Nightingale did people think twice about asking to spent the night with her.

The last person that dared to offer their body to her was the Inquisition's leader himself; a young man from a noble home. Even then, Leliana shuddered at the memory of him proposing to take her to bed.

_It had just been when they had taken Skyhold as a Headquarters. She roamed the dark corridors, considering where she would make her new home whilst the others of the Inquisition discussed their next plan of action. Well, all but one. Terrian had slipped away from the others when he saw Leliana pass through the ancient archway, and unknown to him, she knew she was being followed._

_When he had caught up with her, he placed hand on her shoulder firmly, and __she reacted how she normally would. Pushing him forcefully into the wall, she revealed one of her daggers from under her cloak, pressing the steel cold blade against his throat. She stared into his eyes coldly as he found that the appropriate time to joke, "If that's the sort of stuff you're into, I guess I'm up for it."_

_Turning away in disgust, Leliana released him quietly, continuing her search for a place to sleep. It was only a few moments later that he placed his hand upon her again. Sighing irritably, she stopped and turned towards him. She **knew **these types of men, she found them frequently in Orlais. Her walked her towards the wall, pressing her there lightly, but firmly. "Why are you so on edge all the time, Sister?" he asked her as he knelt down, placing his lips by her ear. "Why don't you just... **relax **for a while?_

_"Let me get rid of your stresses..."_

_Leliana would be lying if she said she was not tempted by the idea of spending time with Terrian. He was indeed handsome, he wasn't too irritating, and he had a nice build for a man; large, muscular. There had been silence in that moment, Leliana considering taking him up on his offer. She hadn't been touched in years, and she wouldn't deny that she missed he sensation of release._

_It was then that Neria's beautiful face appeared in her mind, giving her that heart melting smile that Leliana loved. As she studied every tiny detail of the Elven Mage's face, the less appealing spending the night with Terrian seemed. No... she had spent so long looking for Neria, wishing for her to come back. She wouldn't be unfaithful to her. Leliana had promised Neria long ago that she would only share her body with her, and no one else. She couldn't break that promise._

Wiping the unpleasant memory from her mind, she began to notice that Neria's arms were no longer around her. Suddenly finding the energy to lift her head, she looked behind her to see Hunter, happily eating a cooked rabbit as his short tail wagged. Smiling at the dogs concentration, she looked by the fire- which now had a small pot sitting above the flames- to find Neria sitting by the cooking food. She also noticed, that while whatever in the pot was cooking, Neria had been watching her sleep. "Good morning," she greeted as she took her eyes away from Leliana, stirring the contents of the pot, Leliana recognising the smell as rabbit stew.

"Isn't it just," she joked, stretching painfully once again as she sat up, bringing the furs with her, draping them across her shoulders. "If I remember correctly, it was always _me _that woke up before you after a... _long _night," she teased.

Neria grinned at the red head's comment, bringing out a bowl from near the fire. "The first time, maybe," she replied cheekily, ladling the stew into the empty bowl. "If memory serves me, I woke up to you complimenting me on my _eye lashes," _she teased, rising to her feet with the bowl in her hands.

"Well, you do have pretty eye lashes," Leliana insisted as Neria sat down beside her, handing her the bowl. "But I will admit that I did need practise where my flattery was concerned."

"Don't I know it," Neria joked, leaning forward expectantly to capture Leliana's lips with her own. The kiss was chaste and Neria had pulled away too soon for Leliana's liking, but it certainly left its effect on her. The red hew that spread to her cheeks flared brightly enough for her to actually _feel _it, herself beginning to eat her breakfast to keep herself occupied.

After a few minutes of talking and eating, Leliana sat the bowl down on the grass, watching Hunter as he finished his own breakfast whilst Neria was near her tent, gathering whatever equipment needed to change Leliana's bandages. "Try sit up as straight as you can," Neria requested, setting what she had in her arms down. Leliana did what was asked, raising her arms above her head as the Elf took the cloth off, wincing slightly as the fresh, cold air hit her warm, tender skin.

After Neria had used some of her magic to help the wounds, she re-dressed the injuries and set Leliana on her stomach, tending to the marks on her legs and thighs. Leliana relaxed into the bed roll, the little touches Neria gave her reminding her of the time they used to spend together in camp; especially when she had any sore marks on her body. Whenever she was injured or ill, Neria was always there to make her feel better. Leliana smiled, deciding that some thing's would just never change... including Neria's tendencies to be overprotective sometimes.

"What are you thinking about?" Neria asked gently, moving from the scratches on her legs to the wounds on her shoulders, rubbing gingerly as she 'worked her magic'.

"Just remembering some of the times we spent together in camp," Leliana muttered, her eyes fluttering closed, but her smile remaining. Thinking about the general times in camp whilst during the Blight, she began to remember the rest of their companions, her heart giving a slight pang. "I miss the others," she admitted quietly.

At her confession, Neria leaned down, giving her lover a lingering kiss on the cheek. "I know, love," she whispered reassuringly. "I do, too," she continued, taking her hands from Leliana's shoulders, now laying down beside her, enclosing one of her small hands in her own. Smiling, Leliana pulled the rest of Neria down to embrace her. Neria stood herself on her elbows so not to squash the woman beneath her, breathing in the scent of her hair as she snuggled down into her neck. She pulled back, giving Leliana a slow, sweet kiss on her lips. Pulling back, Neria pressed their foreheads together as she played with the ends of Leilana's hair. "I've missed you the most, though," she smiled.

Leliana chuckled lightly as she ran her fingers through Neria's hair. "Sweet-talker," she claimed playfully. Bringing her down again, Leliana held the Elf tightly to her, nuzzling down into her neck as she breathed in her fresh scent.

Then, as quick as lightning, everything before the previous night came flooding back to her; her being imprisoned, Redcliff Castle... the Inquisition. Her eyes snapped open, she looked down at the person who had influenced her decision about joining the most. In truth, finding Neria was the main reason she had joined the Inquisition, it was her true goal throughout helping the Divine. Now that her love was back in her arms, she felt... less inclined to return. It's not like the Inquisition _really _needed her anyway...

Sighing, she held Neria to her tighter. The words were on the tip of her tongue, threatening to spill over. _We could run... _Leliana thought. The War wasn't happening everywhere in the world. _But the Breach is... _came the treacherous voice of her guilty conscience. Slowly, she began to loosen her grip on the woman atop of her, letting her arms slip to her mid section. "I have to go back," she muttered quietly as she looked up at the purple sky.

Leliana felt her smile against her neck. She looked up as she knelt on her elbows again. "Of course," Neria exclaimed. "And I'm coming with you. I have some information that could help the Inquisition and all, but there's no hurry," she continued. "We'll wait a few days, maybe a week until you're better, then we'll go find them. Until then, you should try and get some sleep," she ended, getting up onto her feet.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel tired," Leliana admitted, supressing a yawn as Neria pulled on her cloak, which had been sitting in a pile next to the bed role the whole night. Fastening the buckle around her neck, she pulled up her hood as she walked back towards the fire, taking up her bow which had been resting there peacefully. "Hunter," she called, the large Mabari's ears shooting towards the sky at his Master's call. Neria looked back at Leliana, who was half dozing by that point, and sent her another smile. "We'll be back soon," she said, walking towards one of the many clusters off trees which kept the three of them concealed, ripping through it as Hunter prepared for another game of cat and mouse.

* * *

It had been one difficult year since Leliana and her Mage had found each other again, the War having only been ended a week ago. Neria lay on their comfortable bed; where she had been since the Great Battle after receiving a Templar blade through the side. No matter how much Leliana had changed throughout their time apart, Neria knew that, if need be, Leliana would always be her medic.

Looking over to where her red head was, a smile graced her dry lips as she awoke, watching as Leliana prepared clean bandages for her. "What time is it?" Neria asked weekly, clenching her jaw at the sounds of feebleness. She _hated _feeling helpless.

Turning, Leliana smiled brightly as she approached her, a chalice of water in her hands as she sat on the bed, leaning down for a quick kiss. "Just passed noon," she replied after they had separated.

Neria took the water gladly, savouring every last drop. She sighed, letting her head hit the pillow once again. Looking up at her love, she asked, "Have the Templars signed the Treaty?"

Leliana's smile widened, nodding her head hastily. "Alistair had them sign it just this morning," she said happily, clasping Neria's hand in hers. "They've agreed to let the Mages train in peace and to let them leave their homes whenever they wish, but they're adamant on keeping watch on things, no matter how loose a job it will be from now on."

"Good," Neria replied tiredly. "At least it wasn't all for nothing." Neria remembered the first time she had ever wondered the Circle Tower's halls. She was only a small girl then, and she found the unexplored corridors and locked doors a pleasant mystery. But as she grew, and the pleasentries of the Tower became dull to her, she soon began to see the walls as her prison, not her home. Every stern glance from the Templars would send an icy shiver down her spine, the intense stare they would give her whenever she was training was enough to put her off. Now that the Templars would be stepping down from their positions, thus giving the Trainee Mages more freedom... needless to say, it lightened her heart, and her worries for her Kin.

Neria was not there to witness the end of the battle, having been whisked off from the battlefield as soon as she was injured, but the stories ran through the Castle walls anyhow. Stories on how Marian Hawke, the woman who had inspired Mages everywhere that the Templars could be defiled, to rise up against their prison wardens, had made an appearance, running in with an army of a million Mages behind her as she cried a terrifying battle screech, destroying all Templars that stood in her path (Varric's version, of course). In actual fact, Hawke had caught everyone's attention by splitting the battlefield in half by a sea of red fire. No mages, no army, only her lover that stood beside her, the self proclaimed Queen of the Eastern Sea's; Isabela.

Hawke had quickly decided to claim the battle over, calling a meeting with all Mages and Templars in the next few days. She and Isabela had then marched through the armies right up to the King, practically _ordering _him to have his healer's ready for the injured. Both she and Isabela had retreated to the side then, Hawke watching carefully as the two opposing sides helped pick their Brother's in Arms up, then quickly disappearing from the battlefield.

Among the dead, however, they had found Neria's trusty companion, her War Hound; Hunter. Neria had retreated inwardly then, keeping her sadness and despair to herself for a number of days, the only person she would allow in the room being Leliana. For over ten years, Hunter had been her guide, her partner and her comforter. Remembering the first of the lonely nights away from her lover, Neria thought through the tears, how she missed her Bard so much. And Hunter had always been there to comfort her, to give her company when she would accept no others in her mission. They were inseparable in life, only death being able to tear them apart.

* * *

After Leliana had dressed Neria wounds, she lay down with her, knowing from the withdrew look on her beautiful face that she was thinking about her deseased companion. Leliana had done what she could with words, now it was Neria's turned; to grieve. All she would do was kiss her Elf on the forehead, wish a good rest, and entangle the woman in her arms, letting her relax and fall into a fit-less slumber.

It was on this particular night that Leliana stayed up for most of it, reliving the memories of what had happened, what they had done since their reunion. One of the first things they had done was track down the Inquisition, finding them in the Fortress of Skyhold. Immediately being brought in from the rain, they were both put in front of the fire to dry off, many of the Inquisition members asking Leliana of her well being. After finding that they had the Hero of Fereldan amongst them, Neria had been quickly assigned in the organisation, much to Terrain's delight... at first.

Throughout the following days, he had noticed that the two women were... _very friendly_ towards one another. He had even heard the rest of the Inquisition muttering about it as well; how Sister Nightingale seemed a lot more happier during her time back, how more led back she was, and how much time she was spending with the Elven Mage. His fears had been answered when one day, as he was walking along the corridor to his room, he ran into the two women, the Sister pushing the shorter woman up the wall as she giggled.

He felt nothing but anger and jealousy toward Neria from that moment on. He hated the fact that the Assassin would chose _her,_ an **_Elf _**of all things... how she would get to sleep next to her every night, how Neria was allowed to bed her, to claim her as her own. He _hated _it, and she knew it too, making sure to always let him know that Leliana was _hers_ every time he entered the room. In truth, Terrian was quite disgusted at the Sister's choice of companionship, both in gender and race, but that was the least of his romantic concerns at that point.

Wiping her former leader from her mind, she listened closely as a lone owl hooted outside their bedroom window, Leliana held the Mage tightly to her as she felt herself slipping into the deep abyss that was sleep, finding that her eye lids drooped traitorously as she let out a yawn. Resting her head atop of Neria, her breathing evened as she fell, contently, to sleep.


End file.
